Drying machine



y 1961 G. M. MARKS 2,984,472

DRYING MACHINE Filed July 19, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

1961 G. M. MARKS 2,984,472

DRYING MACHINE Filed July 19, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2,934,472 1 DRYING MACHINE 1 George. M. Marks,Greenville, S.C., assignor to Industrial Heat Engineering Company, a partnership of South Carolina t 1 a i Filed July 19, 1957,'Ser.No. 673,033 a 12 cr ting. c1. 263-6) This invention relates. in general to'machines for the c'ontinuousdrying of textiles,paper and like film, and *is' moreparticularly directed to a new construct1on whereby the products'of fuel combustion are used directly as the heating agent in one or a plurality of rotating drums onwhich the fabric or film is in contact.

Drying machines prior to this invention normally used in industry consist of a plurality of hollow cylindrical drums. called heat. cans; which are rotated and over which fabrics or films are dried while carried thereby.

These drums are normallyheated by steam carried therein throughpackingglands in the journals on ,which the, drums are rotated. Thus, theiouter surfaces of the drums @areheated by-conductionr This method of heating is relatively ineflicient for several reasons which include the 1 latent heat loss in, creating the steam and the relatively high pressure, with its attendant danger, that must be used to obtain desired temperatures. The drums must be constructed to withstand high pressure and the rotary glands connecting the drums are often troublesome from leakage. Furthermore, since it is desirable to have uniform heat distribution on the outer surface of the drums the. steam condensate accumulation inside of the drums is a serious difliculty not only causing non-uniform heating but additional provisions must be made for its removal.

a The present invention embraces construction which .,overcome the above difficultiesby supplying directly within each of the drums a burner means for the combustion of a. pre-mixture of air and combustible gasfThe fuel is usually in the form of a natural, butane, or like gas.

The application of a burner and diffusing means within are quickly attained without packing glands in their journals. A construction resultingin the direct application of the products of combustion to the inside surfaces of each of the drums comprise .the principal object of the invention. r

" A fuither object of. the invention is the provision of :an elongated burner and diifusingmeans fixed within a "rotary drying drum for uniformly. heating the outer surfaces. of $the. drum. in. contact with the fabric. or film.

to be dried.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a burner and diffusion means within a drying drum including supplementary means for controlling the flow of the spent gases resulting from the combustion of fuel within the drying drums.

These and other objects in one embodiment of the invention is described and shown in the appended specification and drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the drying machine with a portion of the casing cut away.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the drying machine taken through section line 2-2, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of one of the drums taken through section line 33, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken through section line 4-4, Fig. 3.

State P m Patented May 16,1961

ICC

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken through section line 5-5, Fig. 3.

Referringto Figs. 1 and 2, a frame structure 1, rigidly secured to a base. 2 resting on a floor, is adapted to support a plurality of rotatable drums 3 positioned with parallel axes and journalled for rotation in hollow bearing assemblies 4 as shown.

All drums are intended to be rotated at the same peripheral speed by an endless chain motor drive means not shown.

The entire machine is enclosed in a case 5 supported a predetermined distance above a floor by legs .6 which provides a ventilation inlet around the bottom of the casing. A stack. 7 .open to the atmosphere in the top of the casing contains a motor driven suction fan assembly 8 for exhausting products of the combustion generated by burners to be hereinafter described. A header or manifold system 9 isconnected to a feeder conduit 10 for conducting a pre-mixture of combustible gas and air into each drum 3. Each valve ll connected in the header 9 is coupled to each drum for individually controlling the quantity of gas fed thereto;

The fabric or film 12 to be dried is fed into the lower part of the machine in the direction shown by arrow to the lowermost drum 3 by suitable guiding means and then wrapped around each drum, as shown, and passed out of the casing 5 through an elongated slot 1 3. Suitable means, not shown, are provided for feeding and receiving the material before and after drying.

It is apparent that the stagger positioned counter-rotating cylinders, shown Fig. 1, will evaporate moisture from both sides of the material in alternate sequence which results in a high degree of dehydration and permits the material to be driven at a desirable high linear speed.

Referring to Fig. 3, one of the drums 3 is shown in cross section supported for rotation by bearing assemblies 4 in which hollow shafts 14 are secured coaxial with end plates 15 of the drum. An elongated burner assembly 16 is secured in offset position from the axis of the drum by suitable fittings 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 at one end thereof and by fittings 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26 at the opposite end as shown. Fittings 17 and 22 are secured to the main frame by support members 27. and 28. r r

A foraminated flame bafile 29 having a cylindrical shape is retained in the drum in position opposite the burner by supports 30 and 31 secured to fittings 17 and 22 respectively. Damper members 32 and 33 are adjustably secured to drum end plates 15 and provide means for adjusting the area of circular outlets 34 in the end plates 13 better shown Fig. 4, for optimum combustion of the fuel.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, each burner section 35 is provided with alongitudinal passageway 36 which distributes and feeds the combustible pre-mixed gas entering the burner through. fitting 17 to a plurality of holes in the burner plates 37 whichplates are retained in a. cavity in one side of each burner section 35. i

Referring to Figs. 3 and 5, a spark plug 38 is secured in the end burner section for the initial igniting of the fuel. A suitable electric conductor 39 is carried through the bore of fitting 22 connecting the spark plug and terminating in electric ignition means 40 which in turn is connected to a source of electric energy.

In operating and referring to the figures, the fuel feeder conduit 10 is supplied with a pro-mixture of combustible gas and air at a substantially uniform pressure. The gas will then flow through the manifold to the inlet fittings to each burner in each drum under the individual adjustment of valves 11 whereupon the fuel will flow through passageway 36 in the burner and be ignited by the momentary operation of spark plug 38.

Each burner will supply an elongated uniform flame resulting from the passage of the fuel through the holes in burnerplates 37. The flame illustrated in Fig. 4 will impinge upon the forarninated baffle 29 and the resulting difllused heat Will be conducted through the wall of the "drum '3 to its outer surfacein a uniform manner at a high degree of efiiciency. The spent products of combustion will pass through the outlets 34 in opposite ends "of the drums under the control of the dampers 32 and 33 and thereupon be drawn upward in the casing 5 and ex- 'hau sted through stack 7 by virtue of the operation of suction fan 8, thus preventing the products of 'combustion from contaminating or otherwise staining the fabric or fihn carried on the cylinders. The upward movement of the spent gases to the stack 7 is assisted by the free passage of air into the bottom opening around the casing 5.

When drying certain fabrics it is desirable to maintain different predetermined temperatures in each drum and to this end theindividual adjustment of valves 11 and dampers 32 and 33l-rnay be made without sacrificing the uniform "heatingcharacteristic of the burner-bafile combination.

I When certain heavy fabrics are to be dried the drums may be advantageously modified by substituting a p-lurality of cylindrically positioned equi-spaced'rods forming a cylindrical cage as an alternate for the cylindrical ing a frame, a plurality of hollow cylinders journalled for rotation in said frame about their principal axis and positioned in staggered left and right relation parallel each other, each of said cylinders retained for rotation by a coaxial bearing means on each end thereof secured to said frame and having a coaxial bore therethrough, power drive means coupled to each of said cylinders adapted to rotate each of said left and right cylinders in opposite directions at the same peripheral velocity for carrying said material through said machine in one linear direction with the outer periphery of said left and right cylinders in wrapped contact with corresponding opposite sides of said material when operated, a fixed gas fuel burner means in each of said cylinders including a support means extending through each opposite said bore and secured to said frame for heating each of said cylinders and said material wrapped thereon when energized, said support means forming in part a conduit for conducting gas fuel into each said burner means, a source of pressurized gas fuel, a plurality of valves with the inlets thereof connected to said source of fuel and each out-let thereof connected to each said conduit for independently adjusting a predetermined different flow of said fuel into each of said burner each of said cylinders in accordance with the adjustment of corresponding said valves, a casing surrounding said frame and said cylinders having inlet and outlet openings for the passage of said material, said casing having an air inlet at the lower end thereof and apower driven suction means at the upper end thereof for exhausting said prodnets of combustion from said casing when energized whereby said material'jwill bei sequentially dehydrated by sequential contact with successive, differently heated cylinders dependent uponthe relative and corresponding adjustment of said vent means and'said valvemeans when saidpower means is operated and said burner means and said exhaust means are energized.

2. A machine for the continuous dryingzoff sheet material fed thereto and therefrompomprising means forming a frame, a plurality of hollow cylinder means journalled 'forrotation in said frame about their principal'ax'es and positioned in staggered'left and right relation parallel eachother, each of'said cylinders retained for rotation by a coaxial bearing means on each end thereo'fsecuredt'o said frame and having coa-xial boretherethrough, power drive means coupled to each of said cylinder means adapted to rotate each of said left and rightcylinder means in opposite directions atth'e same peripheral velocity for carrying said material through said machine in one linear direction with th'e outer periphery of said left and right cylinder means in wrapped'contact with corresponding epposite' sides of said material when operated, a fixed gas fuel burner means in each of said cylinders including a support means extending through each cylinder opposite said bore and secured to said frame for heating each of said cylinders and the saidfmaterial wrapped thereon when energized, said support means forming in part a conduit for conducting gas fuel into each said burner means; a source of pressurized gas fuel connected to each said conduit, a casing surrounding said frame and cylinder means including inlet and outlet openings therein for the passage of said material, said casing including an air inlet at the lower end thereof and an exhaust means at the upper end thereof for conducting said products of combustion from said casing, an adjustable vent in each end of each cylinder means for equalizing theflow of the products of combustion from each end of each said cylinder means and adjusting the combustion pressure within each of said cylinder means to a predetermined diiferent degree when'said burner means are energized whereby said material will be alternately and sequentially dehydrated from opposite sides by said plurality of said cylinder means when fed into and from said machine andsaid power means is operated and said burner means is energized.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 484,968 Logan et a1; Oct. 25, 1892 1,168,171 Crumbaugh Ian. 11, 1916 1,240,468 Martin 1917 1,819,534 Akerlow Aug 18, 1931 2,352,444 Miller June 27, 1944 2,622,343 Metcalfe Dec. 23, 1952 2,684,544 Myers July 27, 1954 2,722,761 Long Nov. 8,1955 2,763,477

Marks Sept. 18,1956 

